Nearly 2,000 people have joined queues for foodbanks in Kent in the last year.

Foodbank charity the Trussel Trust released the figures as the charity called for benefits to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

In the 12 months to the end of March last year, 11,908 adults and 7,645 children visited centres run by the organisation, totalling 19,553.

That was a rise of 1,922 on the same period a year earlier, when 17,631 people queued for food, 6,932 of which were children.

Chief executive Emma Revie said: "As a nation we expect no one should be left hungry or destitute.

"Illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job could happen to any of us, and we owe it to each other to make sure sufficient financial support is in place when we need it most.

"It's hard to break free from hunger if there isn't enough money coming in to cover the rising cost of absolute essentials, like food and housing.

"For too many people staying above water is a daily struggle.

"It's completely unacceptable that anyone is forced to turn to a foodbank as a result."

Ms Revie also took aim at the universal credit benefits system, which is slowly replacing the old jobseeker's allowance benefit across the UK.

Its figures show food banks in areas where the full universal credit service had been in place for a year or more were four times as busy.

"Universal credit is the future of our benefits system," she said.

"It's vital we get it right and ensure levels of payment keep pace with the rising cost of essentials, particularly for groups of people we know are already more likely to need a foodbank like disabled people, people dealing with an illness, families with children and single parents."

Nationally, the latest figures show a 13% increase in the demand for emergency food supplies to help people in crisis.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "The best way to help a person pay their rent is to help them find work, and universal credit is succeeding at getting people into work faster, and helping them stay in work longer.

"Our research shows that many people join universal credit with pre-existing arrears, but the proportion of people with arrears falls a third after four months.

"We have made a number of improvements already, including making 100% advance payments, including housing costs, available from day one, and introducing two weeks additional rent payment for people joining universal credit from housing benefit."

They added landlords can also apply to have rent paid directly to them, if their tenants are in arrears.